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Topic: PagodaFest - up and running! (Read 4139 times)

To all - The PagodaFest website has launched!! It will be the main forum for information on the event.

PagodaFest is a two-day event to celebrate all things Pagoda. This combination of technical time and social time is scheduled for 4, 5 October 2019 (with an informal meet and greet on Thursday, 3 October). Get ready to enjoy the learning, the meeting, the fun, and the sun along the Pacific coast.

The informal social time on the evening of 3 October is slated to be held at the Karl Strauss brewery adjacent to the Grand Pacific Palisades, our event hotel.

On Friday, 4 October, we will be staged in the wonderful gardens of the Flower Fields of Carlsbad. Here, we enjoy technical sessions, a PagodaFest Market, and a Fiesta Dinner (complete with a Pagoda Piñata).

Saturday, 5 October, is the much anticipated Poker Run through San Diego county. Win friends, influence people, see sights, have fun, and win prizes. The day will culminate at the Awards Dinner at Encinitas Ranch golf course, looking out toward the Pacific Ocean.Space is limited! Get further event details and purchase your ticket at the event website!

One update we have - the reservations for the reserved block of rooms at the Grand Pacific Palisades are open and ready (two have already been taken). If you run into any difficulties at all, just let me/us know.

To clarify a point about the hotel reservations using the PagodaFest reserved rooms.

We reserved a block of ten rooms, each requiring a three-night minimum, and and advance non-refundable payment. We did this to guarantee the room rate, and to get the resort fee waived. While not cancellable, if there is an issue, the reservations can be sold to someone else, and they can take over the room.

Don’t be a Grinch. Have you bought your PagodaPasses yet? So far 66 people have bought theirs and will be making the trip to San Diego. They are coming from all around the globe - Australia, Canada, The Netherlands, Sweden, England, France, and the US. Is your country represented?

Remember we have a limited PagodaPasses availiable and we are expecting a sell out. This would make a great Christmas gift! Have Santa bring a PagodaPass down the chimney for you and/or your loved ones!

This is a new direction for Pagoda gatherings in the US, and you need to be a part of it. A dynamic mix of technical topics and driving through the beautiful environs of San Diego, America’s Finest City! and San Diego county. The two-day event (and half-day informal meet and greet) take place from Thursday evening, October 3rd, through the awards dinner on Saturday October 5th.

For those wavering about the hotel, five of the negotiated rate rooms are left - better check your lists quickly! (negotiated rate - $169 single/$189 double - resort fee waived). Current pricing is $175/$200 plus a $20/night resort fee. Remember that this is controlled by the hotel and demand for rooms in October 2019, so prices will vary.

We wanted to let you all know that the PagodaFest contracted rooms at the event hotel, Grand Pacific Palisades have all been reserved!

There are non-contract rooms available at Grand Pacific Palisades and they can be reserved by using the hotel website as noted on PagodaFest.com. Current pricing is $175/$200 plus a $20/night resort fee. Remember this is controlled by the hotel and demand for rooms in October 2019, so prices will vary.

There are other hotels in the area, with suggestions on PagodaFest.com.

If you are cheap like me and not up for spending $200 a night for a nice room that you will only be sleeping in, there is a decent Courtyard Marriott that's just a six-minute drive from the event hotel. I just booked a room at the senior rate (a first … I turn the minimum "senior" age for Marriott hotels, 62, a few weeks before the event!) for $137 a night, including a hot breakfast ($132 without the breakfast). With the savings, I figure I can buy a lot of margaritas!

The standard rate for you youngsters is $155 a night, or $149 if you are a Marriott Bonvoy member.

Did you check out the AirB&B's around the event locations? You can save some more and have a lot more Margaritas I always try to find a B&B with safe parking so I can sleep at night ~grin~

Great Link, thanks for sharing.

Best, hope to see you again on the West coast if nothing drastic happens to prevent me from going. If I do go it will be in my DD (unless I can get the work done before that departure date out west along Route 66). There be an open passenger seat to share. Whatever car I take it will be a joy

Hi Dieter! I haven't checked out the B&B situation yet, but I will. The Marriott reservations can be cancelled without charge up to 3 days before the event. Parking isn't an issue for me as I will be attending sans-Pagoda, unfortunately!

Are you driving all the way from Canada? By yourself? How long do you anticipate it will take you going on the old Route 66? If you have an open co-pilot seat, I may want to join you ... assuming I can work out the timing.

The PagodaFest committee has been sending email updates via the PagodaFest website. If you have visited the website and signed up for the newsletter or have bought a ticket and you have not been receiving these emails please check your spam folder.

If you have any questions feel free to contact us at pagodafest@gmail.com